Fibre control arrangements for textile drafting systems

ABSTRACT

A fibre control arrangement for a textile drafting system comprises a pair of endless conveyors with one of the runs of one of the conveyors being side-by-side with and adjacent one of the runs of the other conveyor. The conveying surfaces of both of the two conveyors are provided with projections spaced therealong, the projections defining depressions therebetween and the projections of one of the conveyors registering with the depressions of the other conveyor. In use, fibres are conveyed between the adjacent runs of the conveyors in a non-linear path with the speed of the conveyors and associated delivery drafting rollers being so arranged that the fibres are drafted between the conveyors and the delivery drafting rollers.

United States Patent Blackburn et a1.

[ Aug. 12, 1975 FIBRE CONTROL ARRANGEMENTS FOR TEXTILE DRAFTING SYSTEMS Inventors: Reginald Mayman Blackburn;

Harold Edwin Airey, both of Accrington, England [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Aug. 18, 1972 United Kingdom 38696/72 US. Cl. 19/244 Int. Cl. DOlH 5/86 Field of Search 19/236, 244-257,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,686,939 8/1954 Keyser ..19/25O 3,479,700 11/1969 Livingston ..19/258X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLlCATlONS France 713,334 11/1941 Germany 28/7215 930,918 7/1955 Germany 19/250 949,995 9/1956 Germany 19/250 4,922 1877 United Kingdom..... 19/129 R 12,477 1912 United Kingdom 19/248 164,853 6/1921 United Kingdom 19/293 359,074 3/1957 Switzerland 19/249 Primary ExaminerDorsey Newton Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Watson, Cole, Grindle & Watson [57] ABSTRACT A fibre control arrangement for a textile drafting system comprises a pair of endless conveyors with one of the runs of one of the conveyors being side-by-side with and adjacent one of the runs of the other conveyor. The conveying surfaces of both of the two conveyors are provided with projections spaced therealong, the projections defining depressions therebetween and the projections of one of the conveyors registering with the depressions of the other conveyor. In use, fibres are conveyed between the adjacent runs of the conveyors in a non-linear path with the speed of the conveyors and associated delivery drafting rollers being so arranged that the fibres are drafted between the conveyors and the delivery drafting rollers.

7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTED AUG 1 2 ms SHEET FIBRE CONTROL ARRANGEMENTS FOR TEXTILE DRAFIING SYSTEMS This invention relates to a fibre control arrangement for a drafting system for drafting textile fibres of the type in which the fibres are held under control between feed and delivery elements of the drafting system.

In known drafting systems fibre control may be exercised between the feed and delivery elements by gills, as in gilling machines for processing wool and other long staple fibres, or by smooth endless belts or aprons, as used in drafting short staple fibres such as cotton and synthetic fibres up to say three inches in length.

These two types of fibre control arrangements have certain disadvantages. Gill faller arrangements are expensive to construct and maintain, speeds of operation are limited and the faller devices are very noisy. Smooth endless belt arrangements used for short staple fibres give excellent results, but the range of fibres which may be drafted and the flexibility of systems with this form of control leaves much to be desired.

According to the present invention, there is provided a fibre control arrangement for a drafting system for textile fibres comprising a pair of endless conveyors with one of the runs of one of the conveyors side-byside with and adjacent to one of the runs of the other of the conveyors so that fibres pass between the adjacent runs of the conveyors from a feed region of the drafting system to a delivery region of the drafting system, the conveying surfaces of the two endless conveyors being so formed that the fibres are conveyed in a non-linear path between the adjacent runs of the conveyors.

Two embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side elevation of a worsted drafting system embodying a fibre control arrangement according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of part of the fibre control arrangement illustrated in FIG. 1, drawn to an enlarged scale,

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional side elevation of a further worsted drafting system embodying a fibre control arrangement according to the invention,

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of part of the fibre control arrangement shown in FIG. 3, drawn to an enlarged scale.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, the fibre control arrangement illustrated comprises an upper endless flexible belt 11 and a lower endless flexible belt 12. The upper belt 11 passes around and engages with a back roller 13 and a front roller 14, while the lower belt 12 passes round and engages with a back roller 15 and a front roller 16; The rollers 13 to 16 are provided with timing gear teeth 17 which are engaged by projections 18 on the under surfaces of the belts 11 and 12. The back rollers 13 and 15 are driven from a main drive shaft (not shown) and impart positive drives to the two belts 11 and 12 in the directions indicated by the arrows 30 shown in the drawing. The front rollers 14 and 16 are freely rotatably mounted and are rotated by the belts as they pass round them.

The upper front roller 14 is mounted for vertical movement on its axis so that the two adjacent runs of the belts ll, 12 diverge from the back rollers 13, 15 and so that the amount of divergance may be varied.

The point at which the two belts 11, 12 diverge is controlled by a toothed roller 32 which engages the upper belt 11 intermediate the front and back rollers 14, 13. This toothed roller 32 divides the adjacent runs into a first parallel stretch followed by a divergent second stretch. This toothed roller 32 is movable vertically by means 34, and also movable horizontally by means 35 to vary the length of the adjacent runs occupied by the first and second stretches.

The lower belt 12 is engaged by a toothed roller 33 which acts to hold the upper run of the belt 12 horizontal or substantially horizontal. The back roller-15 of the lower belt 12 has its teeth 17 mounted on a plate which is angularly movable relatively to the axis of said roller 15 to enable the ribs 19 and the depressions 31 to be moved into register.

The conveying surface of each belt is, as shown in FIG. 2, provided with laterally extending uniformly spaced projecting ribs 19, the width of the ribs 19 being smaller than the widths of the depressions 31 between adjacent ribs 19. The rollers 13 and 15 are arranged to rotate at equal speeds and the spacing apart of the rollers 13 and 15 is made such that the ribs 19 on the conveying surface of each of belts l1 and 12 extend into the the depressions between the ribs 19 on the outer surface of the other of the belts l 1 and 12, in the manner shown in FIG. 2.

At a feed region, textile fibres fed through a trumpet 20 are conveyed between the adjacent runs of the belts 11 and 12 and follow a non-linear path in which they are alternately deflected upwardly by one of the ribs 19 of the lower belt 12 into the depression 31 between two adjacent ribs 19 of the upper belt 11 and then downwardly by a rib 19 on the upper belt 11 into the depression 31 between adjacent ribs 19 of the lower belt 12. On arriving at a delivery region at the end of the adjacent runs of the belts 1 1 and 12, the fibres are delivered via a guide element 21 to a pair of delivery drafting rollers 22 and 23.

The fibres being processed in the arrangement illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 are subjected to maximum fibre control by the belts l1 and 12 in the first stretch up to the roller 32. With this arrangement, the belts 11 and 12 replace the feed drafting rollers of the conventional drafting system while at the same time providing good fibre control. After the roller 32 the degree of control is gradually reduced as the fibres pass towards the front rollers 14, 16. The delivery rollers 22 and 23 are driven at a peripheral speed in excess of the speed of the belts 11 and 12 to draft fibres by a predetermined amount and the spacing of the first stretch of the belts 11 and 12 is so arranged as to provide a positive nip by the belts on the fibres. As so arranged, the nip provided by the belts I1 and 12 along the first stretch serves as a feed nip of the drafting system and the fibres are drafted between this nip and the nip of the delivery rollers 22 and 23, while under the control of the belts 11 and 12.

In the drafting system illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, fibres are advanced by a pair of feed rollers 24 and 25 over a guide element 26 to the entry end of a fibre control arrangement formed of the same elements as that described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. Elements common to FIGS. 1 and 2, and FIGS. 3 and 4 have the same reference numerals and will not be described in detail. As'illustrated in FIG. 4 the adjacent runs of the belts '11 and 12 are however so spaced apart that the ribs 19 on each belt, while lying opposite depressions between adjacent ribs 19 on the other belt do not project into the depressions, but terminate at the level of the tops of the ribs of the other belt. The ribs 19 of the belts 1 l, 12 nevertheless cause the fibres to assume a non-linear path downwardly into the depressions between adjacent ribs 19 of the lower belt 12 and upwardly into the depressions between adjacent ribs 19 of the upper belt 1 1. In this case, the front roller 14 of the upper belt 11, is so positioned that the two adjacent runs of the belts are parallel along their total length.

The fibres in the arrangement illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 pass through the positive nip provided by the feed rollers 24 and 25 and are transported between the adjacent runs of the belts 11 and 12 from which they are delivered to delivery rollers 27, 22 and 23. The peripheral speeds of the delivery rollers 27, 22 and 23 are in excess of the peripheral speeds of the feed rollers 24 and 25 to provide the required drafting of the fibres and the belts l1 and 12 are arranged to run at a speed intermediate the peripheral speeds of the feed rollers 24 and 25 and the delivery rollers 27, 22, 23, thereby effecting only minimal lateral fibre control on the fibres being drafted.

It will be appreciated that the ribs and depressions on the belts may be of any desired spacing and shape, but preferably there will be several such ribs within the staple length of the fibres being processed. Furthermore, the belts may be adjusted in relation to each other to give any desired pressure from a positive nip to very light pressure, or even no pressure on the fibres in the drafting zone.

Drafting systems embodying fibre control arrangements according to the invention can be used to process textile fibres over a wide range of staple lengths without any adjustment of the feed and delivery elements of the drafting system, but it will be understood that adjustment of the feed and delivery elements may be made to produce optimum conditions or even further to extend the range of fibres which may be processed.

Although the application of the present invention has been described in relation to machines to replace gilling machines, it is clear that the invention can be applied to machines for short staple drafting, particularly those which are used for cotton and synthetic fibres from say 1 inch to four inches in staple length, the only modifications necessary if desired being a reduction in the widths of the belts to suit the finer rovings fed to them and an increase in the number of ribs per unit length on the conveying surfaces of the belts and the corresponding depressions therein.

There may be one pair of belts for each sliver or roving fed to the drafting system or for each end delivered from the drafting system. Alternatively, two or more slivers or rovings may be fed to a single pair of belts and two or more ends may be delivered from a single pair of belts.

Although it is preferable to use timing belt drives to impart a positive drive to the belts other means to drive the belts, for example, knurled rollers on smooth surfaced belts, or any other known type of belt drive may be used.

Drafting systems embodying fibre control arrangements according to the invention can be operated at very high speeds, say the equivalent of 4,000 faller drops per minute and upwards on gills, and are simple to construct, easy to operate, and are silent in operation. I

We claim:

1. A fibre control arrangement for a drafting system for textile fibres comprising:

a first endless conveyor,

a second endless conveyor having a run thereof faceto-face with and adjacent to a run of the first conveyor, said conveyors being mounted for movement at a predetermined speed; the adjacent runs of the conveyors being divided into two stretches, a first stretch in which the conveyors are substantially parallel and a second stretch in which the conveyors diverge, the second stretch following the first stretch in the direction of travel of the conveyors;

a plurality of projections spaced apart along the conveying surfaces of the two conveyors, the projections defining a plurality of depressions therebetween, the projections of the first conveyor registering with the depressions of the second conveyor along the adjacent runs; and

a pair of delivery drafting rollers mounted for rotation at a higher peripheral speed than the speed of the conveyors whereby fibres conveyed between the adjacent runs of the conveyors in a non-linear path are drafted by the conveyors and the delivery drafting rollers, and whereby less control is exercised by the adjacent runs of the two conveyors on textile fibres at the delivery region than at the feed region respectively at opposite ends of said conveyor.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1 wherein, said second stretch is of a fixed length, and wherein means are provided for varying the angle of divergence of the two conveyors in the second stretch.

3. An arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the pair of delivery drafting rollers are associated with a guide arranged intermediate the first and second endless conveyors and the said pair of delivery drafting rollers.

4. An arrangement according to claim 1 wherein a pair of feed drafting rollers are provided for feeding textile fibres to the first and second endless conveyors and wherein the drafting takes place between the feed drafting rollers and the delivery drafting rollers, with the first and second endless conveyors travelling at a speed intermediate the speed of the feed drafting rollers and the delivery drafting rollers.

5. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein there is provided an roller which engages one of the conveyors on its inner surface to hold the adjacent runs of the conveyors parallel in the first stretch thereof and which permits the conveyors to diverge in said second stretch, and wherein there is provided means for moving the roller about an axis parallel to the first stretch of the two conveyors and means for moving the roller about an axis normal to the first stretch of the two conveyors, whereby the length of the adjacent runs occupied by the first stretch and the second stretch may be varied.

6. An arrangement according to claim 1 wherein each conveyor is arranged around a pair of rollers which rotate about parallel axes, one of the rollers of each pair being arranged at a feed region and the other of each pair of rollers being arranged at a delivery region, wherein the under surfaces of the two conveyors are provided with projections wherein the rollers are provided with teeth which engage the conveyors between the projections to drive the conveyors positively, and wherein the teeth of at least one of the rollers are movable relatively to said roller so that the projections and depressions on'the conveying surfaces of the conveyors may be brought into register with one another along said adjacent runs. a

7. A fibre control arrangement for a drafting system for textile fibres comprising:

a first endless conveyor,

a second endless conveyor having a run thereof faceto-face with and adjacent to a run of the first conveyor,

a plurality of projections spaced apart along the conveying surfaces of the two. conveyors, the projections defining a plurality of depressions therebetween, the projections of the first conveyor registering with the depressions of the second conveyor along the adjacent runs, and the projections terminating at their outer ends in a plane which is substantially co-planar with the plane of the open end of the depressions,

a pair of delivery drafting rollers rotating at a higher peripheral speed than the speed of the conveyors whereby fibres conveyed between the adjacent runs of the conveyors in a non-linear path are drafted by the conveyors and the delivery drafting rollers. 

1. A fibre control arrangement for a drafting system for textile fibres comprising: a first endless conveyor, a second endless conveyor having a run thereof face-to-face with and adjacent to a run of the first conveyor, said conveyors being mounted for movement at a predetermined speed; the adjacent runs of the conveyors being divided into two stretches, a first stretch in which the conveyors are substantially parallel and a second stretch in which the conveyors diverge, the second stretch following the first stretch in the direction of travel of the conveyors; a plurality of projections spaced apart along the conveying surfaces of the two conveyors, the projections defining a plurality of depressions therebetween, the projections of the first conveyor registering with the depressions of the second conveyor along the adjacent runs; and a pair of delivery drafting rollers mounted for rotation at a higher peripheral speed than the speed of the conveyors whereby fibres conveyed between the adjacent runs of the conveyors in a non-linear path are drafted by the conveyors and the delivery drafting rollers, and whereby less control is exercised by the adjacent runs of the two conveyors on textile fibres at the delivery region than at the feed region respectively at opposite ends of said conveyor.
 2. An arrangement according to claim 1 wherein, said second stretch is of a fixed length, and wherein means are provided for varying the angle of divergence of the two conveyors in the second stretch.
 3. An arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the pair of delivery drafting rollers are associated with a guide arranged intermediate the first and second endless conveyors and the said pair of delivery drafting rollers.
 4. An arrangement according to claim 1 wherein a pair of feed drafting rollers are provided for feeding textile fibres to the first and second endless conveyors and wherein the drafting takes place between the feed drafting rollers and the delivery drafting rollers, with the first and second endless conveyors travelling at a speed intermediate the speed of the feed drafting rollers and the delivery drafting rollers.
 5. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein there is provided an roller which engages one of the conveyors on its inner surface to hold the adjacent runs of the conveyors parallel in the first stretch thereof and which permits the conveyors to diverge in said second stretch, and wherein there is provided means for moving the roller about an axis parallel to the first stretch of the two conveyors and means for moving the roller about an axis normal to the first stretch of the two conveyors, whereby the length of the adjacent runs occupied by the first stretch and the second stretch may be varied.
 6. An arrangement according to claim 1 wherein each conveyor is arranged around a pair of rollers which rotate about parallel axes, one of the rollers of each pair being arranged at a feed region and the other of each pair of rollers being arranged at a delivery region, wherein the under surfaces of the two conveyors are provided with projections wherein the rollers are provided with teeth which engage the conveyors between the projections to drive the conveyors positively, and wherein the teeth of at least one of the rollers are movable relatively to said roller so that the projections and depressions on the conveying surfaces of the conveyors may be brought into register with one another along said adjacent runs.
 7. A fibre control arrangement for a drafting system for textile fibres comprising: a first endless conveyor, a second endless conveyor having a run thereof face-to-face with and adjacent to a run of the first conveyor, a plurality of projections spaced apart along the conveying surfaces of the two conveyors, the projections defining a plurality of depressions therebetween, the projections of the first conveyor registering with the depressions of the second conveyor along the adjacent runs, and the projections terminating at their outer ends in a plane which is substantially co-planar with the plane of the opeN end of the depressions, a pair of delivery drafting rollers rotating at a higher peripheral speed than the speed of the conveyors whereby fibres conveyed between the adjacent runs of the conveyors in a non-linear path are drafted by the conveyors and the delivery drafting rollers. 